Muse

Manchester Arena

April 8

SOMETIMES while watching Muse and listening to their huge sound, it's hard to remember that the band is just three blokes from Devon.

Regarded as one of the finest live acts in rock around the world, Muse have a reputation for theatre and the grandiose.

At the start of every tour, Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard must put their heads together and think, how can we outdo ourselves this time round.

Well, they've done it again. Their ambitious Drones tour expands on the conceptual theme of their seventh album of the same name.

Performing in the round, with a rotating stage with two platforms at either side, this is a rock gig of epic proportions.

It makes even the 21,000 capacity Manchester Arena seem intimate.

Floating pods depicting drones, a Thunderbird 2 esque plane flying around the Manchester Arena, stunning visuals, as well as the usual lasers and flashing lights, help to take us on an extraordinary journey through the mind of frontman Bellamy.

There is even a comedic moment when, after large balloons containing confetti are launched into the crowd, they fail to pop before the next song starts, leaving bassist Wolstenholme to do the job with himself his instrument.

Those familiar with Muse's output will be aware of Bellamy's sources of inspiration, be it space, conspiracy theories, and with this album, the concept of death and destruction engineered from the safety of a desktop.

It is almost as if Bellamy reads George Orwell's 1984 every three years to source the material for his latest album.

The near two hour set starts with the haunting a capella track Drones being blared from the PA system, with the lyrics being displayed on a big screen.

"Our lives between your fingers and your thumb. Can you feel anything? Are you dead inside? Now you can kill from the safety of your home with drones."

The trio then thunder into their single Dead Inside, followed by album track Reapers.

The set draws heavily from Drones, but also delves into the band's extensive back catalogue, with fan favourites such as Supermassive Black Hole, Hysteria and Time is Running Out getting the sell out crowd on their feet.

Muse's encore starts with a stunning version of Take A Bow, the opening track from their 2006 album Black Holes and Revelations, and it finishes with that album's closing track, the anthemic Knights of Cydonia.

Musos may mock Muse's proximity to pomposity, but one thing you can't deny is that they put on one hell of a good show.

Muse play the Manchester Arena again tonight.